#TheLifesWayReviews - Money Smart by Vilochanee Naidoo #MoneySmart @Vilochanee #BookReview

Hi Friends,

Money Smart - How to Be Finance-Savvy and Live a Wealthy Life is written by Vilochanee Naidoo who brings all her knowledge gained in her 21 years of experience in Finance and Procurement with various Blue Chip companies. Money Smart is a very thin book of just about 102 pages containing 12 chapters on various topics from Income, Budgeting, Buying a car, Buying a property, Financial Wellness, Savings and Investments, Shopping Principles, and Managing Contracts and Obligations amongst various other topics. 

It's quite an easy financial book to go through as compared to the others which take you on the route by various American authors where they mostly mention the IRS and other forms but this book specifically focusses on South African millennials and students who have just started their career. I received this book at the start of the month and yesterday night I completed the same from the first page to last page in around 2 hours as I thoroughly enjoyed reading the same. 

The book doesn't delve deeper into the nitty and gritty of the topics but gives you lessons learned kind of practicality to keep your expenses within certain percentages which are actually followed by financial consultants and advisors throughout the world. If you follow her advice, I am definitely sure that you can enjoy your life with whatever income means you have while creating multiple sources of income on the go. The starting chapter is a little bit longer as it explains the need for this book for the South African economy and could have been cut shorter but once the main topic comes the book flows from one topic to another quickly. The book seems to be a compilation of various financial articles, speeches, and blog posts written by the author and made into a book format but none the less, you are getting the same in a hard copy format without any efforts so go for it. 

The book tries to change your money quotient to work on your goals, feed the same to the Universe, and then build an ecosystem as explained in The Secret by Rhonda Byrne using the law of attraction. I have been using the same principle since the first time I saw the Secret video in 2008. But am I financially independent? No, but Am I financially savvy? Yes and this book validated my learnings over the years that if I continue working on my goals, then I can definitely achieve financial freedom one day in the near future. As she says mentioning Investopedia that by the age of 40 - 3 times your annual salary in savings, at age 50 - 5 times and at age 60 - 6 times shall be in your bank accounts. I think I have achieved the first portion as I will complete 40 years on 22nd July this year and now need to work Money Smart towards the next phase of life from 40-50 years of age. Thanks

Money Smart can be bought hardcopy from as little as R350 or eBook for R199 or via kindle at R66. More information about the book can be found at www.money-smartbook.com

Connect with Vilochanee Naidoo on Social Media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vilochanee
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vilochanee/
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/vilochanee
LinkedIn: Vilochanee Naidoo

Sawubona!

Contact Aashish Rai Jain at thelifesway@gmail.com or editor@thelifesway.com to send your products, launch event invites, and services to be consumed. #TheLifesWay #PhotoYatra #7YearsofTheLifesWay. Follow me on www.instagram.com/thelifesway for all travel-related photo posts. Namaste!

17 Days To www.TheLifesWay.com 5th Birthday Celebrations #5YearsofTheLifesWay #27Dec2017 #Patience

Hi Friends,

Though it's way beyond the 5th birthday of The Life's Way (27th December in 2017), as there was no internet connection available for more than a month, I could not do any of the blog posts for so long. Patience is a virtue which is definitely needed by all. I have waited long enough for everything in my life. Unless and until I deserved the same, I was never granted the same by the universe, but things changed with The Life's Way bringing great luck in my life. My first big win was a laptop from HP for a post which I wrote with all my heart. When my friends read it before I posted the same, they were cracking jokes about me but I knew that post has winner written all over as those were the songs I loved. 

The Life's Way has patiently waited for all the great things in life to come and pampered a lot of PR companies by posting for free and some has used the same to their advantages. It's ok to be getting used but once or twice they shall realize that we all need money to run the day to day business. If I am not getting sponsored posts and campaigns, I won't be doing free posts too. Even posting press releases takes a lot of time along with photos and captions and handles to be shared etc like I share. It takes me at least 1 hour per post even when all the content is written in the press release as you need to read it and then check for images and then post labels, twitter links, website URLs etc. I am sacrificing important parts of my life to post something on my social media channels so I need to get Return on my time in terms of money or kind. 

But it's good in the end, once you realize that the other person is taking advantage of you and then you stop doing his/her work, then after a while they will realize the importance you bring to the table. I am waiting for those right moment patiently. Even if it happens in a long long time, it's fine by me and if it happens sooner that I will be happy. Also, another change is that I will stop asking for gadgets to be sponsored as I will buy what is the best in the market as compared to used/old/reviewed units sent to keep rather I will ask directly for money to be paid into my bank account. Why waste time on things I don't want in my life and spend my energy keeping them unused at my home?

16 Days                                                                                                                                      18 Days

Cheers!!!

Contact me at thelifesway@gmail.com to collaborate on paid/sponsored campaigns. No FREE posts! #TheLifesWay #PhotoYatra! Check my influence and book me via https://webfluential.com/TheLifesWay

Learning and Executing #Financial #Wisdom @FisdomApp #Investing #Smartphones

Hi Guys,

Life is full of opportunities and we try to make them work for us from time to time. But as our work and family takes center stage we could not make Money work for us. Money needs time and efforts on our part to multiply or at least retain its value over the years. Financial Freedom is something we all work towards knowingly or unknowingly based on the facts and figures or based on friends advice or based on our regular research from newspapers and other online materials. But not every decision works in our favor but now there is something that can help us take right choices with just a click of a button in our smartphones. 

I was looking for right investment products as I am travelling all the time, sometimes far onsite trips and can’t get the SMS/OTP that are generated for the bank apps which wastes a lot of time. Also it needs daily study to think about which are the right stocks or mutual funds to purchase and have in my portfolio. I am using ICICI Demat account for the past 6-7 years but then I wanted some app that can help me make the right choice of investment products but mainly my time goes in changing password every 14th day and using the password grid etc. I started looking on android Play store and found a lot of financial and banking apps which I installed one by one and found out that FISDOM to be the best among them all in user interface and several other features which I will discuss in this blog post. But in the ever growing market of smartphone apps where bank and financial agencies have their own apps what is so different about FISDOM? 

FISDOM is an investment management product which gives your financial wisdom to take the right decisions at the certain age with your risk capabilities to grow and make your investments work for you. FISDOM is available on Google play and on the web and soon iOS version will be out in Apple store. 

Currently, a large number of people like me want to invest their money in stock markets and mutual funds but they are stuck in savings and fixed deposits to earn the least interest rates possible which sometimes just matches the rising inflation we are facing in India. Then there are much more challenges like no online application forms and complicated KYC process, no time to go to the branch with traffic and long queues, lack of financial understanding about the products and options available in the market. Above them all it takes a while to understand the market and it needs certain amount of time daily to make the right financial decisions. 

FISDOM is built keeping in mind each of these problems and to help non-savvy person to get over them comfortably or people like me who doesn’t have time to research the market themselves. The app makes it very easy to a) become an investor b) make investments (currently in equity, debt and liquid mutual funds) and c) track money in a jargon free manner (No need to read the red herring prospectus unless you want to). This is one of the best features that even if I can’t track personally the SENSEX or NIFTY myself due to office or travel, this app will help me make the right choice by offering right products based on past performance. 

Second best features is the online rather “smartphone” KYC process for FISDOM which is very seamless and leverages the phone camera and make it super easy for any user to get KYC compliant. Essentially I just took a series of photographs for my PAN card, address proof, cheque leaf, a selfie (of course smiling one as always) and that’s it. So no more filling of application forms and submitting it manually to a particular branch or so. 

The app has a very user friendly interface and a 4 digit pin helps you to keep it secure too. The app consists of several tabs to make it easy for users mainly – Invest, View, Register, Learn, Help and other system specific details including changing password etc. On the Investment tab, the app allowed me to check my long term or short term goal scenarios - SIP, tax saving, investing surplus money and goal based investing (retirement etc). Investing surplus money has further three sub use cases which are investing into a) safe places like liquid funds, b) bond portfolios c) long term equity portfolios. 

The third feature that I loved about FISDOM is that the app allowed me to decide on my asset mix (stock and debt) based on the goal I have in mind and then recommended me the best funds based on this asset mix. I could play with how much risk I wanted to take without having to depend on an advisor. I could actually check several options by playing with the risk pattern to check what kinds of options comes up and whether that can help me achieve my long term financial target. Building wealth is definitely my goal and FISDOM has helped me stay on target and reminds me that, it requires a strong discipline and systematic investment over a long period of time to achieve the same. 

Unlike brick and mortar advisers, Fisdom's recommendation is purely based on internal research and is not influenced by commissions given by AMCs to the brokers. The research takes into account a variety of factors including past performance, underlying portfolio, fund manager track record, view on the markets etc and also customer's age. As financial markets gets changed every day the information gets updated in the app to recommend the best options available. 

Viewing portfolio is very simple - there are no complicated jargon and relative returns. Money is just treated as money and you can track your portfolio in multiple levels. Fisdom also helps you keep track of your tax liabilities. You can also check if you are invested in Tax saving instruments to save Income Tax also. One another feature I loved is the option to withdraw money in a single click from any investment at any time (yeah, on a trading day only – I suppose) and amount will come back to my bank account for any emergency needs. 

Knowledge is something that you develop over the years with reading or experience but there is a learn module in FISDOM where the app users can learn about various financial terms in their free time or breaks. I have the app installed on my Android phone and the options the Fidsom shows to invest in are best in trade but in the end as it all depends on the market and economy of the country, the risk we take is ours. FISDOM really makes us financially wise but now we have to trust ourselves to start investing early to build the life we always wanted to.

Cheers!!!

Book me for your Brand's Influence at https://webfluential.com/TheLifesWay

Follow me on twitter @araijain or @thelifesway 

Email - thelifesway@gmail.com for invites to launch events / sponsored posts and product reviews!

Checkout my Instagram (araijain) page 

Checkout my photo blog - www.photoyatra.blogspot.in

Like The Life's Way Page on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TheLifesWay

The more you travel, more miles you earn @Citibank #PremierMilesCard #India

Hi Guys, 

Long before the invention of money, people used to barter their goods for whatever they want in return. Slowly with time, coins and papers notes took center stage and gained a lot of acceptance all over the world. Gold and Silver coins were very much popular because of the actual value of the precious metal. In modern world, though precious metals still hold value but currency notes and coins took the center stage. It became the most popular mode of forgery as people started making their own and earned a lot in the actual money. Banks and other financial institutions discovered a method to keep people away from coins and currency notes, which became so popular that now our lives seems incomplete with the same. It was the invention of Credit Cards and Debit Cards which eventually reduced the consumption of coins and paper notes. These small plastic cards had a huge potential and world started carrying the same around the world. Eventually as technology grew further the ease to use and faster processing of payments helped the businesses and banks as well as the end users. 

How users can benefit from using a small plastic device was the main concern that everyone has on their minds? It was that during those times a lot of pattern and strategy starts to emerge worldwide. Air travel was becoming cheaper and with the growth of Information Technology jobs from the outsourced countries, younger population stated earning a lot of money with onsite jobs in every country. People with huge income at their disposal wanting big credit cards which can give them a lot of upgrades from travelling in an economy class to business or first class using the amount of points they have collected on their credit cards via shopping and spending the money.

I too only got my first credit card when I started earning and it has a profound effect on my attitude towards money. I started spending only using the credit card as it used to give me a credit period of 45 days before the next statement comes on zero percent rate of interest. I can buy now and pay later which enabled me to prioritize my budget. I always wanted to have a Citibank Credit Card because of the rewards program that they had as well as the best point conversion ratio amongst all other vendors. With some of Citibank cards, every point holds value of Rs. 1 per point which is maximum as industry average is around 25-40 paise per point. 

Citibank credit card has ties up with the best partners around the world to travel, dine and shop. When I was in London, I really made use of my card to buy a lot of stuff as the forex rate was really competitive along with all the extra points that you earn when you shop in a foreign country. Travelers need to check the various terms and conditions before narrowing down on the card which serves them the best. I really admire the Citibank’s PremierMiles Credit card because as a frequent traveler it serves you at airports, hotels and many other benefits with leading airlines. Check out the card and apply here.

Citibank needs no introduction and so will you if you have the PremierMiles card in your pockets as it will support you at every stage of your dream journey or official travel. Lounge access is complimentary up to 6-8 visits in a single quarter in various domestic and international airports in India. The best part of the PremierMiles card is the miles never expire but they come at a cost of annual fees of Rs 3000 and gets you 10000 miles when you make any single purchase worth Rs. 1000 within the two months of getting the new card. Miles can also be transferred to various hotel partners as well as can be redeemed for shopping vouchers and merchandise. 

If you use your Credit card well, it can be a great wish fulfiller like genie which will give you the power to earn little something extra as you pay for your necessities. I have used several credit cards and among all, I still love my Citibank Indian Oil Credit Card for my domestic usage and if you are travelling overseas, PremierMiles gives you a lot of value as every mile you earn can make all your future travel comfortable and may be free sometimes. Go check the same, enroll for it asap and start earning miles. You can also follow Citibank on Facebook and check several other Citibank credit cards (Indian Oil, Rewards & many more) which you can also apply based on your want and need.

Cheers!!!

Follow me on twitter @araijain or @thelifesway 
Email - thelifesway@gmail.com for invites to launch events / sponsored posts and product reviews!
Checkout my Instagram (araijain) page 
Checkout my photo blog - www.photoyatra.blogspot.in 
Like The Life's Way Page on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TheLifesWay

#MakeItHappen - Spend less and save more with Lumia Apps

Hi Guys, 

How are you tracking against your goals for 2015 so far? It requires a persistence effort to do so and smartphones these days helps us do so with their apps. Improving finances was the most popular goal from the survey results conducted by Microsoft South Africa because financial freedom is ultimately what we are all aiming to achieve. To help you achieve this goal, here is a list of some great apps from the Windows Phone store to help you better manage your finances and accomplish those goals set out for this year.

Spending Tracker (Free) 

Spending Tracker is the easiest and most user friendly Personal Finance App in the store. And best of all, it's free. The simple fact is, by tracking your spending you will be able to stick to a budget and therefore SAVE MONEY. This app helps you track your spending quickly and easily and it also offers an option of choosing to track weekly, monthly and yearly. So give it a try and have instant control over your spending.

Budget Buddy (Free)
A multi-functional expense tracker and budget manager featuring the ability to track expenses by taking a photo. Just snap a picture of your bill, receipt, cash register total, or whatever is available when you are making a purchase. No fumbling around with your phone while you are paying your bill or checking out. The Live Tile feature makes it easy to track your spending and manage your budget. You can know exactly how much you've spent and how much is left in your monthly budget simply by looking at the live tile on your home screen.

My Budget (R9.99) 

My Budget is an easy solution to balance your accounts, track your expenditure, and manage your money and more. As a personal finance application one can enter receipts, assign each transaction to a category and to an account. My Budget day view, week view and month view gives you quick snap shot of your pending and upcoming activities.

Money Wallet (R23.99)
Money Wallet is a simple, useful and intuitive personal finance assistant with online synchronization between several devices. The application combines all your accounts in one place, monitors budgets and always reminds you about scheduled transactions.

Financial freedom is what we all have to achieve and work towards. It keeps us happy and ensures our living continues as per our lifestyle for the times to come. A lot of books and websites are made to teach and guide those who seek the same. Keep looking and learn from them and finally do execute those ideas.

Cheers!!!

Follow me on twitter @araijain or @thelifesway  

Email - thelifesway@gmail.com   for invites to launch events / sponsored posts and product reviews!

Checkout my Instagram (araijain) page 

Checkout my photo blog - www.photoyatra.blogspot.in  

Like The Life's Way Page on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TheLifesWay

From the Rat Race to Financial Freedom - Manoj Arora

Hi Guys,

A common man's journey in his life is always towards saving money and investing in whatever options he is aware of, but then sometimes we end up with nothing in our hands. Here's a book by Mr. Manoj Arora securing a way for a common man to build up his wealth with the Right Attitude and Planning Well! This book is about dreams and coming out of the rut of earning money at a young age - like i will be financially free by the age of 41, and once an individual is financially free, he can chase his passion, or true dream in life!

Published by Jaico Books, this book is priced at Rs. 299/- only.

More infomation about the book can be found out at - https://www.facebook.com/RatRaceToFinancialFreedom 

& the blog at - http://ratrace2freedom.blogspot.in/ 

I will be reviewing the book once I am done with Inferno by Dan Brown. Till that time my financial freedom has to wait...

Thanks a lot!

Contact me for your product's review on twitter @araijain or @thelifesway or email - thelifesway@gmail.com